Untouchables of Asia - Hariya, bonded labour.

Jakob Carlsen

Freelance

Gore Sunar, 55 years, living i far western Nepal, is landless and works for 4 landlords ploughing their field, harvesting, and other kinds of work. But he is not working for money. He is a Hariya, bonded labour. He has taken loans from all 4 landlords and works to pay off the interest only. Two of the landlords doesn´t even have bulls and plough, so Gore has to use his own bulls and plough. He took his forst loan when he was 18 for his wedding and is still working for that landlord. One of the landlords is even a member of CDF (community development forum), a human rights organisation. Gore has two daughters, no sons, which means that his nephew has to take over gores obligations towards the landlords when he can’t work anymore.

Jakob Carlsen, "Untouchables of Asia - Hariya, bonded labour.," in POYi Archive, Item #43136, http://archive.poy.org/items/show/43136 (accessed November 22, 2024).